Chains of Omega
by Gage Divem
Summary: Going through life means dealing with change. I thought I know this, but I never expected to deal with this much of it.  A Mass Effect Self Insertion story.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect.

I'd like to thank 3 fan fiction writers for significant inspiration: iNf3ctioNZ, bale626, and Herr Wozzeck

* * *

><p>Prologue<p>

I was running. Running as quickly as my body would allow, because I knew the psychos behind were out to kill me. Most of the gang had fallen far behind, and as I'm in much better shape than most people, this number was steadily growing. The corresponding drop in pursuers had given me some hope for possibly getting to safety.

But just as I had thought that, some idiot darted in front of me. I collided with the guy, loosing my balance and momentum. More importantly, colliding with the random stranger made me lose the lead. The closest thug behind me managed to catch up, and I found myself at gunpoint.

"This ... this is what happens when you fuck with us, punk" The man gasped, more than a little out of breath.

And then I saw a flash from the gun, and then two more. For a moment, I wondered if he had missed me, because I hadn't felt anything. Then I heard screaming around me, and noticed that it was getting harder to breath. It was only then that I started to feel the pain, originating from 3 points in my chest.

I looked down. Blood. My blood. And quite a bit of it too.

The pain didn't really bother me as much as how hard it was getting to breath; and how it was getting dark around the edges of my vision. I looked back up at the man who had shot me, and with a bit of detachment, noted that the man's pistol was now aimed at my head. I watched as my life flashed before my eyes, watched as the gun flashed for a fourth time, and watched as I died there on the street.


	2. Aria T'Loak

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect.

I'd like to thank 3 people for significant inspiration: iNf3ctioNZ, bale626, and Herr Wozzeck

Constructive criticism is welcomed.

* * *

><p>Chapter 1<p>

I woke up gasping for breath, shaking as I struggled to live –

And then I realized that I was in a bed, and that I didn't really hurt. I looked down, didn't see any gunshot wounds, and the slight twinging in my chest vanished. It seemed that being gunned down had been just a dream.

I frowned slightly, because for some reason that thought didn't seem right. The dream had been vivid, and even now I could picture the various people I had passed, hear the sounds of the city, smell the metallic scent of my blood. Maybe there was something more to the dream? After a few moments more of contemplation, I got up...

And promptly realized that I was in a hotel room that I didn't think I'd ever been in before. After taking a few moments to recover from my shock, I tried to retrace my steps, hoping to remember how I had arrived. I got nothing for my trouble. Slightly concerned, I tried to remember what I had done last, and after quite a bit of mental effort, I still recalled nothing.

'Am I amnesic? Would I know if I was?' I wondered, still trying to remember _anything_ I had done in the past.

After those scary thoughts, I started listing the things I could remember in my head. The list was depressingly short, as the only things I could actively remember was that strange dream, my name, and a set of people that I felt like I should know. I tentatively labeled those people as family/friends in mind, and myself as amnesic (seeing as I couldn't remember pretty much anything about myself). The next step for me then would be to start thinking about my next move.

I took some time, pondering what I could do, when suddenly a thought occurred to me. Perhaps my condition was caused by some kind of physical trauma that I couldn't remember? I could go see a doctor about it, and even if it wasn't the case, the doctor could give me some decent advice about what to do next, right?

Having decided on a course of action, even if I was still foggy on how to carry that action out, I started searching the hotel room anything useful I could take when I left the room. Specifically, I was hoping for some cash to pay the doctor with, but I'd be willing to get … huh.

That was strange. I don't exactly remember par se, but I kind of had a vague expectation of hotel rooms having things like soap and shampoo, and other little amenities. The room didn't look like a cheap one, if I went by the room's furnishings.

I did find a set of clean clothing in a drawer, and though they seemed strange for a moment, I shrugged off the feeling. I didn't really have a basis for fashion comparison, and they were very similar in style to the set I was currently wearing. I changed, and after I did so, I found a folded piece of paper in one of the pockets.

One side was covered in markings that had a regularity that might be some sort of code that I either didn't remember, or never knew. The other side though, had a pair of short, perplexing statements.

'I pay my debts. And now we're even.'

Maybe the words would have meant something to me at some point, but as I was, they just added confusion to my life. I folded the page, and placed it back into my pocket. It was time to leave the hotel.

There was a circular panel with a green light that I assumed was the exit of the room, and it opened automatically when I got close. I then walked down a hall, caught a ridiculously slow elevator ride with some guy, and then received a shock as I walked into the lobby.

There was a blue female alien standing behind the reception desk! Thankfully, I managed to get over my amazement by the time she noticed me in the lobby, because as soon as she did, she started to talk to me.

"Mr. Jacob Liljedahl? Could you come here for a moment? We have a package for you." The alien cheerfully said.

I walked over, curious, because one of the few things I could remember was that my last name was NOT Liljedahl. The blue alien told me to put my hand on a glowing pad, and after I did so, she handed me a small metal disk, as well as a black metal glove that could reach to my elbow.

I thanked the alien, and left the desk, placing the disk in my pocket while carrying the gauntlet with me. Was I a spy before my memory loss? It would explain quite a bit, what with the coded page, the false name, the package. It could even give an explanation for the dream; it could have been my last assignment or something.

Enthused by this exciting line of thought, I glanced at the glove I held. Careful examination showed that I had absolutely no idea how to properly evaluate it, and unable to determine anything about the metal glove, I decided to put the glove on to see if anything interesting happened.

It was fitted for a right hand, and as soon as I put it on, I felt a small prick on my forearm. The glove started softly humming, and then it started projecting teal light around it. The light also made a screen, which proudly proclaimed that I was wearing a customized omnitool. Under the bold print, there was a link that led to a tutorial on how to use basic features of the omnitool.

It turns out that the thing was very intuitive, and it wasn't very long before I was able to run a search function for the nearest charity clinic. The search result presented a 'Dr. Mordin Solus' and his clinic. The doctor was a different alien from the blue one at the reception desk, looking somewhat like something you'd find near a lake.

Seeing Dr. Solus's picture led to the realization of just how little I knew. Wanting to rectify that problem, I found myself a seat in the hotel lobby where no one was likely to sneak up on me from behind, and after connecting to the extranet, I started to read.

It didn't take long to find out that I was on a space station called Omega, and that Omega was a fairly dangerous place to be. I also came across the current date in my extranet searches, and by Earth's standards, the day was January 15th, 2184. I felt vaguely uneasy after discovering this, and it was only when I started completely new topics of search that the feeling faded

I had just finished reading about the various aliens living on Omega when a male turian walked up to me. Not sure what he wanted, I shut down my omnitool, got up from my seat and asked him. His reply was to hit me hard in the stomach. I doubled over wheezing, and barely caught his words when he spoke.

"Aria wants to have a chat with you, human"

He then grabbed me by the arm and dragged me through the station to a club called Afterlife. He took me past the bar and dancers to back of the club. There was a Batarian who searched my pockets for weapons, and after he was done, he motioned for the turian to grab me once more. The turian took me up a flight of stairs, where there was an area with guards, more guards, and some very comfortable looking couches. Sitting on those couches was an asari who's whole aura projected ruthlessness and power.

"You know, I don't believe I've ever met a human with as much courage as you." The asari said, "Tell me, why have you decided to fuck with me? I've killed people for much less, Mr. Liljedahl."

At this point I had almost total confusion. What was she talking about? All I had done all was sit in a hotel lobby reading. There was a long pause, with the asari obviously waiting for me to talk. The problem was, I had no idea what to say.

"What?" I helplessly asked. This was a mistake.

The asari went from seemingly relaxed to enraged. She started glowing blue, and suddenly I was floating in the air, blue surrounding me. I also felt a constricting around my neck; she was slowly choking me.

"Listen closely Liljedahl, there is one rule on Omega. Only one. Do NOT fuck with Aria T'loak. It's simple, so I want to know what made you decide to transmit a message pretty much amounting to 'fuck with Aria' on all open channels. If you thought it would be funny, I'll kill you right now." The asari I had finally identified as Aria hissed.

Aria then dropped me onto the ground. "I'm waiting. Don't piss me off further." She said.

I had no clue what to say, and I'm pretty sure that I'd be dead if it hadn't been for Aria's omnitool to start beeping. She told the guards to keep me subdued while she read the priority message. Aria's continence began to relax as she read, and when she was done, she started laughing.

Aria told the guards to let me up. "So, Liljedahl, it would seem that we've both been played. Apparently you have a hard copy message and a metal token for me. Hand them over and take a seat."

I had no idea what Aria had just read, but since it seemed to have put her in a much better mood, I didn't question my luck. I just handed over the piece of paper, and the metal circle I had gotten at the hotel. I then sat down on the couch, which turned out to be as comfortable as it had appeared.

Aria took her time reading the paper, and when she was done, she closed her eyes and sat there for a few minutes. It hadn't been very long before she opened her eyes again, and she started rapid-fire giving orders. When she was done, she turned to me with a large smile.

"You have a very highly placed friend, Jacob." Aria said pleasantly, "Though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious as to how you met him, we have more important things to discuss than old acquaintances."

I, of course, had no clue as to who Aria was talking about; so I just asked "Such as?"

Aria didn't answer right away, shifting in her seat, and telling a batarian to 'tell the Patriarch to get his ass up here' before continuing.

"We need to talk about your future. The fact of the matter is that I owe your friend a few favors from a few centuries ago, and he wants you safe. Well, he actually had a list of things he wanted me to do for you, but it pretty summarizes as keeping you safe and out of trouble."

I was about to ask about what she planned to do, when a krogan trudged up the stairs. I stared in awe, the sheer size of the guy making everyone else seem smaller. He looked at me, snorted, and then addressed Aria.

"What do you need Aria? Or did you just want to parade your trophy around for the human here?"

Aria simply replied in the same arrogant tone she had used to greet me.

"Well, Patriarch, though I do love showing off what is mine, we have somewhat of an unusual situation. I need this particular human kept safe, off of Omega. If he dies, it's my responsibility."

The Patriarch frowned. "And you want me to handle his safety? I didn't know you trusted me that much. What if I were to just let him die?"

"Then everyone would know that you've lost all honor you once had; that you've become so weak that you couldn't even keep one human out of trouble. Then I'd make sure you are totally broken before you die." Aria's smile was feral as she spoke.

The patriarch laughed, "At least you still remember that I'm dangerous, Aria. But I'm not going to do this alone. I can't guarantee his safety by myself, so you'll be giving me at least two others to help."

"Done." Aria said to him, and then turned back to me. "You don't look like you're someone who's had bodyguards before, so I'll give you some advice. The Patriarch is far, far older than you. Listen to him and whoever he decides to take, and you'll be safe. And if you don't want guards, then that's just too bad, because here on Omega - You don't fuck with Aria."

Aria's voice sent shivers down my back as the Patriarch led me out. I don't think I'll ever forget that rule, no matter how long I'm on this space station.

Chapter End


	3. The Patriarch

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect.

I'd like to thank 3 people for significant inspiration: iNf3ctioNZ, bale626, and Herr Wozzeck

I appreciate constructive criticism and writing advice :)

* * *

><p>Chapter 2<p>

The first thing I discovered after leaving the Afterlife with the Patriarch was that he loved to talk. The Patriarch had an opinion about everything, from the people we passed, to certain bars and shops, to a particular scrap heap that he swore had been in that exact long before he had arrived at Omega. He spoke continuously during the trip, and only concluded his stories when we reached our destination, a rather nondescript door.

The Patriarch turned to face me, and then leaned in over me. Involuntarily, I took a step back, and he chuckled.

"Mocius's place could be considered the finest levo-amino restaurant on all of Omega. That is, if he were to actually cook for someone other than his closest friends. He's one of the few who still respect me on this damned rock." He proudly announced, "I come here all the time, and Mocius always has something ready for me."

The Patriarch did something with his omnitool, and the door opened. Almost as soon as we had stepped inside, I could smell a savory aroma, and the smell only got stronger as we went down the hall. Turning a corner revealed Mocius, an uncommonly tall turian who was diligently laboring over a stove.

He ignored us for few moment, focusing on his cooking, before facing us. His mandibles twitched, and then turned back to the meal he was preparing.

"Go and sit down in the dining room. The food will be ready in about 20 minutes. And Patriarch, you're going to be eating less tonight; I don't make more levo-food than the usual unless you let me know ahead of time." Mocius called over his shoulder as Patriarch and I went into the adjoining room.

When the food was finished cooking, Mocius brought the food in, and we ate. For himself, Mocius had made some kind of baked meat and vegtables, and for the Patriarch and I, the food was a stew. The stew may have been spicier than I generally preferred, and it might have had meat that I couldn't identify, but the overall taste of the stew made me close my eyes in bliss. No wonder the Patriarch enjoyed ate here regularly.

As we ate, Mocius and I listened to the Patriarch tell a story about a mercenary group he had crushed back when was younger. He was about to start another when Mocius interrupted, his every movement precise, efficient, and graceful.

"Patriarch, I think that's enough for tonight. You may come here to mooch off of my cooking like some beggar, but we both know that's not the real reason you brought the kid here. Did you know just how rapidly he's become the most famous person on Omega? "

Mocius then turned to me, giving me the most penetrating gaze that I've ever been under.

"Jacob Liljedahl. Checked into the Siderolite hotel seven hours ago, giving two items to be held at the desk. Checked out of the hotel two hours later. Has an unusually colored omnitool. Spent four hours on extranet sites that covered a broad range of topics, while continuously transmitting a audio file that played as 'fuck with Aria.' Then you ended up here after your conversation with Aria, with the Patriarch in tow." Mocius spoke quickly, punctuating each fact with clipped tones.

I was more than a little freaked out by Mocius's the rapid-fire speech that he had given. He knew everything I'd done that day? If he thought that I was famous, did other people know all that stuff too? Will he blink, or is he going to develop laser vision and fry me? My thoughts started going wild with paranoia, until Mocius spoke up once more.

"And yet, despite my best efforts, I can't find a single thing on you from before you walked into the hotel. There are no records, no DNA files, no family connections; there isn't even security footage from you walking up to the hotel. It's almost like you appeared in the hotel lobby, the file erasure is so complete."

"What's that mean for me?" I asked, surprised by Mocius's declaration.

Mocius's gaze, if possible, became even more piercing. "Kid, the transmission you were sending got the attention of every half decent hacker on Omega, and most are going to want to know a bit about the human who had the balls to call out Aria. I know I did, and as good as I am, I found nothing beyond what I've already said."

"There's plenty of people who try to start new lives, try to hide from what they've done, but a few records connecting the old and the new lives always remain. You can hire somebody to try to hide your past, but enough digging can bring it back up. Your case is different, with no cover-up mistakes that I can find. That means there are people who are going to want to talk to you."

Mocius finished his lecture, and final turned his gaze to something other than me. I was so relieved that I almost missed his question to the Patriarch.

"So, why did you come to me, Patriarch?" Mocius asked.

The Patriarch took his time answering, eventually saying "Aria wants me to make sure the kid stays safe, and as you told the kid, he's visible here on Omega. He's been noticed, and he'd be safer off the station. I was hoping you'd have a way to get us off the station discretely."

One of Mocius's mandibles twitched, and suddenly Mocius had shifted back into the fairly relaxed person he had been during dinner.

"I suppose you wanted me to cover your tracks after you had left, deleted the travel records or something?" Mocius drawled, a distinct shift from the staccato speech from just minutes before.

The Patriarch nodded, and Mocius leaned back in his chair, arms folded casually in front of him.

"I can actually do a bit better than that, Patriarch. It happens that just a few days ago I received a lead on the bastards I've told you about. I also happen to own a ship, and since I'm going to be leaving Omega anyways, I could give you a ride. Come back here in two days, and I'm sure we can leave without the annoying hassle of destination records and passports and the like."

The Patriarch started laughing, and as we got up from the table, Mocius took the dirty dishes to the kitchen.

"Don't get too famous now, OK, Jacob?" He called over his shoulder as we left his house.

* * *

><p>Almost as soon as we were out the door of Mocius's place, the Patriarch started talking about the next place we would be going: his own 'humble abode'. Apparently the place had been some executive's house until the Patriarch had decided that he wanted it. That one tale was his topic of discussion for the trip to the shuttles and to home.<p>

When we actually arrived, seeing the irony of the Patriarch calling his house 'humble' firsthand was too much. Completely disregarding the fact that he could break me in two with just a fraction of his strength, I started laughing. The place had a courtyard, and judging by what I could see, a rather large entrance hall as well.

"Is this house _humble _in any way?" I gasped between my laughs.

The Patriarch grinned, and said "Compared to Aria's home? Completely. This is the place she let me keep after taking my main house for myself. I used to let important guests stay here until I could schedule time to met with them."

Abruptly, the Patriarch's grin became into a frown, and he growled.

"And now I'm a guest here, because I know that I keep this place at Aria's sufferance. Aria has a rather cruel sense of humor more often than not. And that's just one more reason I spend so much time at Mocius's home."

The Patriarch was uncharacteristically quiet as he showed me around, only explaining the purposes of the various rooms. He then showed me to a luxurious bedroom, told me to stay there until he came back next morning, and left. I stayed up for a little while after the Patriarch had left, fiddling with my omnitool and the extranet. It took less than a minute to confirm that Mocius had been correct about my fame; the first news site that I checked had rumors speculating about 'the true identity of Jacob Liljedahl' and 'Liljedahl's fate.'

A little startled at the sites, I went to bed, and the next morning, the Patriarch seemed to have recovered most of his good humor. He once again filled the air with his voice as he took me back to the Afterlife. It was apparently time to pick up the two people the Patriarch wanted from Aria.

Almost as soon as we had arrived, the same turian who had grabbed me from the hotel greeted us. Or rather, he greeted the Patriarch. The turian didn't even so much as spare me a glance as he told the Patriarch something and left.

Instead of going to the couches where Aria had been yesterday, the Patriarch led me to an secluded alcove where we were met by a pair of asari. The Patriarch recognized them, and he seemed very pleased by their presence.

"Kid, I think I underestimated how much Aria values your safety. These two ladies are Nali and Nari T'Reese. When Aria needs a body double, the twins are the ones she goes to." The Patriarch quietly told me as pointed out which was which.

"Twins?" I asked, "They don't really look alike."

Nari smiled pleasantly. "We aren't birth twins." She said, "We share the same birthday, but Nali was adopted by our mother when we were very young."

"And we've been together ever since. We're pretty much inseparable, so we're twins in spirit if not in fact." Nali finished.

The twins seemed almost as talkative as the Patriarch, and they spent a good while talking about clothing, the newest hit singers, and the deplorable state of the economy. Eventually though, they finished social conversation, and the Patriarch told Nari and Nali that they had the rest of the day to get themselves prepared to leave Omega.

"Meet me here early tomorrow morning. Don't try to go in by yourselves; you'll only get yourselves hurt for no reason." the Patriarch said as he gave theme Mocius's address.

After the T'Reese twins had left, the Patriarch turned back to me.

"Don't let yourself be fooled by their innocent little asari girl acts, kid." He warned, "When they substitute for Aria, they're every bit as ruthless and cunning as Aria herself. They're probably the most dangerous asari you can meet in the corridors of Omega."

"And the fact that Aria has actually agreed for them to be under my command is interesting. I've never seen them take orders from anyone other than Aria. It really seems that I might be getting some of my status back because of you, kid."

Then the patriarch chuckled, and as we started to leave the Afterlife he asked "So, as thanks, how about I get you some ice cream? That's a treat most humans enjoy, right?"

Ice cream? Really? I let the patriarch call me kid because he's probably over a thousand years older than me, but teasing me like that? I wasn't not going to let him just treat me like a child with no response.

"I'm 20, Patriarch, not 5." I said flatly "How about you retract your joke, and we go get whatever we need to take with us off of Omega?"

The Patriarch just grinned, and said " Sure, but don't complain when I don't get you any."

The bastard actually changed directions and dragged me to a food vendor because he 'felt hungry'. The Patriarch then purchased a carton of ice cream, and he proceeded to eat it in front of me, slowly, and with as much visible pleasure as possible. Then, his grin larger than ever, the Patriarch led me to a rather shady looking general store.

Our stay in the store was short, as the Patriarch had apparently ordered a supply of goods that were to be directly delivered to Mocius's address. The only real need for the Patriarch and I to be there in person was because of a pair of specialty items that the Patriarch had bought.

The first was a pistol, which the Patriarch looked over carefully, making it more metallic noises come out of it than I knew was possible. After the though inspection, he flashed his grin at me before complementing the volus working at the counter. The Patriarch then handed the pistol to me, telling me that the thing was mine now, and that he expected me to start learning how to use it.

The second item the Patriarch had bought for me looked like a rock-climbing harness of some kind. The Patriarch looked at the thing just as closely as he had inspected the gun, and after a few minutes, he nodded.

"It's not as good as the pistol, but then, it's better than what the kid has on now." he told the volus, "Take care of yourself, Jir, I'd hate to lose a supplier as good as you."

As soon as we had left, the Patriarch told me that the harness was a low-grade kinetic barrier device that had been designed for politicians to wear under their clothing. It couldn't take more than a few shots, but the Patriarch assured me that those few seconds would be more than enough for him to get me on under cover.

The Patriarch's attitude made me wonder. He seemed so very sure that there would be somebody after me with the intent to kill. The Patriarch himself had told me that he looked forward to being alive again, that he looked forward to crushing all who would try to harm me.

It made me wonder how I had gotten into the situation; it made me wonder who I had once been.

Chapter end


	4. Mocius Deleo

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect.

I'd like to thank 3 people for significant inspiration: iNf3ctioNZ, bale626, and Herr Wozzeck

I appreciate constructive criticism and comments.

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

The next morning was an early one. The Patriarch got me up at 0400 sharp, galactic standard (or 5:33 Earth time), and we left the Patriarch's house very soon after that. I was half asleep for the trip to Mocius's home, and judging by the Patriarch's lack of stories, he was as well.

Actually entering Mocius's home when we arrived was a mistake, as it turned out that there were three sadists waiting for us... I think I might have used the wrong word there; I meant that there were three morning people waiting for us. By some twist of fate, Mocius, Nari, and Nali all functioned wonderfully in the mornings, as if Omega wasn't still in night mode. They were going around the house with boxes and bags with a spring in their steps, and in my less than rational state, I was ready to despise them.

Then Mocius walked by and said, "Oh, Jacob, I made donuts this morning, they're on a plate on the kitchen counter. You'd better hurry before the Patriarch eats them all."

In short, Mocius's cooking can cause me to forgive even a morning person. I managed to grab and eat three donuts before the Patriarch simply lifted the plate beyond my reach, claiming the rest as his. Once we were done eating we waited in the dining room for a while, until Mocius also entered the room.

"I sent the twins off to my ship with the stuff we packed, and after I go change out of my armor, we can leave as well." He announced.

I was a little confused, and asked "But can't you change on the ship? And why would you be changing OUT of your armor now? I know you know Omega's dangerous."

Mocius somewhat sheepishly said, "Yeah, I could, but I need to test an alternate persona if we're going anywhere important in citadel space. I'm kind of convicted of treason by the hierarchy, and the hierarchy's gotten other governments to sign an extradition agreement if I'm found."

The Patriarch started laughing, and Mocius left the room to change. When he returned, Mocius was wearing a quarian style environmental suit, and holding a matching face-mask. The Patriarch started laughing harder.

"You're going to go out as a quarian?" The Patriarch laughed, "That's hilarious. You know you're noticeably taller than the average _turian_, there's no way people will believe that someone as tall as you is a quarian. And that's not even covering the other physical differences. Like the your head fringe."

Mocius's face tinged blue for a moment before he calmed himself. When he was ready, he explained.

"Moc'Deleo vas Ardat nar Hienro." Mocius told the Patriarch, "That's the full name of my quarian identity, and I'll have you know that I've already used it to fool actual quarians."

"Really?" The Patriarch asked, "Can't they check with the migrant fleet at some point?"

"Well, besides the fact that interrupting an important cultural tradition because you met one physically strange person? I've forged enough past data files and introduced them into the proper systems slowly enough that any background check in citadel space is solid, and I don't really have to worry about the fleet. In this identity, my father tried to fiddling with my DNA to strengthen my immune system. He failed, and so I'm a genetically-mutated victim of my exiled quarian father. Because of the extenuating circumstances, the migrant fleet would welcome me at any time, though I don't have to go."

"In fact, this particular alternate identity is the most through one I've ever done, and I'm actually quite proud of it. I'll send you the complete profile later if you want it; a second opinion could spot some possible mistakes, and after seeing the extent of Jacob's profile erasure, I have some new standards to set."

We left, and it turned out that Mocius was correct. Despite being far, far taller than an actual quarian, no one seemed to notice. The trip was uneventful, and we had almost arrived at the spaceport when we were stopped by a quarian.

"Moc, you're finally getting off this rock?" the quarian asked, and then did a double take when he noticed me, "Hey, you're that human who transmitted that sound file! Aria actually let you go?"

"Um, she has me under her own protection?" I hesitantly replied, and the quarian nodded.

"I don't think anybody expected that possibility, but I sort of understand. If she didn't kill you outright, you must have had some kind of overwhelmingly valuable data to her. Aria doesn't kill what she can use." The quarian said, before turning back to Mocius, "Now, Moc, you got a ride off Omega, and you aren't taking me? I thought we were friends."

"Kenn" Mocius sighed, "You were the one who told me that you wanted to earn your way off this station yourself; that's the whole point of your salvage business, isn't it? You're the best in the business, and soon you'll have enough money to get you and the other quarians who're stuck here off the station, right?"

"I know, it's just, be careful, OK? You may be huge, but you're a worse fighter than me, and you keep doing stupid things. Don't die while you're gone."

Kenn left, and somewhat subdued, Mocius led us to a hanger with a starship. She had sleek lines and a yellow sheen, and as soon as we were in sight of her, Mocius started babbling about her non-classified specifications, how much he loved her, how fuel efficient she was, etc. We went on-board, and the inside looked nearly as impressive as the outer hull did.

Mocius took us directly to the Combat Information Center (CIC), and the very short trip was my first indication that the ship was special. The elevators were efficient and quick, unlike every other elevator in Omega. Mocius had laughed at our reactions before telling us that he'd be giving us a tour once we had left the station.

"If you wait until we've gotten completely out of the way of Omega, I can show you all the modifications that the Ardat has. Until then, you'll just have to wait." Mocius said. "Now, on the subject of leaving Omega, I found out that the twins have piloting experience, so they'll be doing that while I finish the final touches for our unobtrusive exit."

"How are we going to leave obtrusively?" The Patriarch asked, "There's plenty of video cameras and bugs in the docks, and I know that you won't have time to -"

"Actually, I will." Mocius interrupted, "There's this insane vigilante who's started attacking the more unscrupulous of the merc groups. He's already managed to trash several expensive operations without any help; so, being the giving turian I am, I engineered an opening in the Blood Pack's smuggling business last night. The vigilante seems smart, and he'd have to be a complete moron to miss what I did. He'll have to make his move sometime in the next two hours, and while he has Omega's attention, I'll hack the more difficult cameras. The cameras think we're still here for at least the next two days, we slip away unnoticed, and we arrive anywhere we want unannounced."

Mocius finished his speech, and then walked over to a panel that controlled the Ardat's ship to ship communications. For him and the twins, it would be a waiting game before using their skills to their fullest. For me and the Patriarch, we just had to wait.

We had waited for nearly an hour, when suddenly something rocked Omega. As in, it felt like an earthquake had tried to rip Omega apart. Mocius sprang into action, his fingers flying across the panel. The same expression from two nights ago was on his face, and the holographic images were almost changing faster than I could process.

It wasn't long before Mocius finished, and then he pressed for the intercom.

"Nali, we're clear. Do a full power thrust until we clear the hanger, then shut down everything but minimum life support. We use inertia to coast for 3 hours to clear anyone's sensor range, and then plot a course to the Armstrong Nebula."

"Acknowledged. Full power burn in three, two, one."

As soon as Mocius had finished talking, he had grabbed me and the Patriarch and raced for a couch next to the far wall of the CIC. We had just sat down when the burn started, and I could feel the huge acceleration. I could barely breath, could barely move, I was pressed against the couch so harshly.

After perhaps half a minute, the weight on my chest vanished, as did the rest of my weight. As I started floating off the floor, the lights shut off as well. Mocius chuckled.

"That went better than expected." He said happily.

"What all just happened?" I asked. Ever since the ship had started shaking on Omega, the adrenaline in my system had made it hard to process what was happening.

"Well, the explosion on Omega was Archangel accidentally detonating a Blood Pack shipment of weapon munitions, as well as a small crate of high-grade explosives I arranged to be delivered with their shipment. The hacking was me rewriting the code in the cameras and station sensors, and the acceleration is because I've tweaked the safety protocols in the engineering section to allow the Ardat to accelerate two point four palaven gravities faster than the artificial gravity can compensate for."

"And we'll be floating in darkness because it'll reduce the Ardat's heat output, and because Omega's sensors won't be looking for objects under a certain temperature for the next three hundred minutes. By then, we should be far out of anyone's sensor range, and we can go to the planet Sogelrus with no one knowing that we're going there" Mocius finished.

The Patriarch grunted. "So you finally found out where he's been hiding and don't want him to spook?" he asked.

Mocius shook his head, and his tone was vicious when he spoke. "No. I've found out where he's going to be, and I'm not going to give him a chance to spook. The bastard's far too cautious, and so far, every time I've even made a motion towards leaving Omega he runs to another random corner of the galaxy. At Sogelrus, he'll finally die."

I wasn't sure that I wanted to know who 'the bastard' was. It was obvious that Mocius held a deep hatred of him, but that was his own business. I was going to stay out of it, until the Patriarch took the decision out of my hands.

"Mocius. Tell the kid your sob story. The kid'll be taking care of the Ardat while you, me, and the twins take care of the bastard, so he deserves to know." The Patriarch said.

Mocius took a moment to glare so piercingly at the Patriarch that I could feel it through the dark, and then he laughed bitterly.

"Why not? We have plenty of time." He said.

* * *

><p>"It was after I had finished serving my term in the turian military, when I decided to travel, to see the galaxy. I had just arrived on Omega and walked into the Afterlife when I found the prettiest asari that I've ever seen. For me, that day was the day that I had fallen in love, and for her, it was the day she had met the most persistent annoyance of her life. Her name was Nassana Garnith."<p>

"She was a privateer working for the asari government to help control the level of piracy in the galaxy, and she came to Omega to relax and look up new leads. Since Omega was the only place I knew where to find her, I chained myself to the station. I took any hacking job I could to get enough money to stay. It was enough for a long while, to be near her when I could."

"And eventually, over the course of several years, she came to regard me fondly, like a stray animal that she had taken a liking to. The ultimate ice queen was beginning to melt, and it inspired me. I learned all that I could about her. I learned that she enjoyed building things, fine arts, and delicious meals, and as cooking has always been a talent of mine, I honed it like I had honed my hacking. I learned how to cook well enough for her standards, and the first meal that she actually finished was the first time I saw her genuinely smile."

"It had taken time, it had taken patience, it had taken dedication, but it was worth it. She had stopped coming to Omega for the atmosphere and the information, she had started coming to see one of her very few friends. Nassana had come to see me, and we were happy as things were."

"Nassana never really returned the love I had for her. In her eyes, I would always come second to her ship, but I was OK with that. She had been deeply hurt early in life, and had spent hundreds of years alone. She didn't know how to love a person anymore, and I was willing to give her all the time she needed to learn."

"She was changing, but she never got a chance to finish her healing. A turian pirate named Argus killed her by venting the atmosphere in the hanger she had docked in. He had bribed a series of officials to do it because he was afraid that she would eventually come after him. It was unacceptable, completely unacceptable. I hunted down and killed every bureaucrat that had taken his money, I committed treason against the hierarchy to plant the viruses to collect information, and I used every bit of patience that I had for Nassana for Argus. I've been waiting for years to get my chance at killing him, and now I have it."

Mocius fell silent, brooding. I really didn't know what to say. I was about to stammer something, stammer anything, when Mocius interrupted.

"Please, I've heard anything you could have to say and more. Keep your words and compassion; let's just rest until we can restore power to the Ardat."

Floating in the dark, floating through the dark. Suddenly three galactic hours seemed like it would be the longest time I'd ever endured.

Chapter end

* * *

><p>AN: Have you ever had a character who barged into your story? Mocius is one of those, and in all honesty, I had no idea Mocius would be more than a bit character, nor did I know his backstory until I actually typed it.


	5. The Ardat

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect.

I'd like to thank 3 people for significant inspiration: iNf3ctioNZ, bale626, and Herr Wozzeck

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

I was lucky not to break my neck when the power came back on. Zero gravity in near total darkness tends to wreck your ability to position yourself relative to other objects, and I happened to be upside down when artificial gravity was restored. I started falling, and I barely managed to twist my body enough to land in an awkward semblance of a somersault.

The Patriarch and Mocius landed far more gracefully than I did, having been oriented properly to the ground when the power turned on. They chuckled as I got up from the ground, and almost as soon as we had recovered our footing, Nari's voice called over the intercom.

"Hey, Mocius, which planet in the Armstrong Nebula are we going to? We're on course to the relay, but Nali would like to plot the complete course now."

Mocius pressed an intercom button, and replied "We're going to Sogelrus, fourth planet in the Gagarin system."

"Acknoledged, but, uh, are you sure it's Sogelrus? I thought that pirates were more likely to go to Antirumgon rather than Sogelrus." Nari sounded confused.

"I'm quite sure. Argus's route means that he will need to initiate a discharge in the system, and I've confirmed that he prefers, Sogelrus for that purpose. Apparently, from what I've managed to gather, he has a well hidden base there." Mocius confirmed.

There was a slight pause, and then Nari confirmed the heading.

"Acknowledged. Sogelrus ETA approximately 17 hours."

Mocius then turned to me and the Patriarch.

"Now then, since we have plenty of time before we need to seriously prepare for the assault, I promised you two a tour of the Ardat, didn't I?" He said, "We can start from the bottom up."

The Patriarch declined, stating that this wasn't the first starship he'd been on, and that as long as he wasn't expected to find his way around in the engineering areas, he'd get around just fine. He then walked to the bridge to talk to the twins while Mocius and I went to the elevators, quickly arriving on the lowest deck of the Ardat.

Ardat's lowest level turned out to have a small room with four doors, with the first going to the elevator we just came out of, and the other three going to cargo holds: one to port, one to starboard, and the final towards the stern of the ship. The ones to the left and right were locked, and the last door looked like it had been welded shut in addition to being locked. Mocius followed my gaze towards the weld marks, and laughed.

"The aft cargo hold is the largest on the Ardat, and is off limits to everyone, myself included. Nassana, when she was still alive, was very often the only crew member aboard, and she occupied most of her travel time with extensive customization of the ship. The aft cargo hold, houses a set of over forty industrial capacitors placed in a parallel sets to form a bridge between the FTL drive and the Ardat's power grid. The static charges that build in the FTL drive are drained into the capacitor chain, which is capable of holding several times the max charge the FTL drive can hold."

"When you consider the fact that the charges are also being very carefully drained into the ship's power supply at the same time, it's easy to see how the setup gives the Ardat a FTL endurance of over 200 hours. I haven't actually been in there before, as the cargo bay has been completely sealed off and filled with an insulating gas to prevent any potential backlash to the ship."

Mocius then pointed to the port cargo hold.

"The port hold is also filled with unique equipment that Nassana made herself. The hold contains the central components to a ship-wide heat radiation system that's far, far above what's available anywhere. I can barely understand how it works even with detailed notes and complete schematics Nassana left, but the easiest way to describe it is that the system uses some sort of electromagnetic pump to draw heat from around the ship, which is then either used to power a small set of Stirling engines or trapped in heat sinks."

"There's two different types of heat sinks that the system uses; one set can be deployed outside the hull to radiate the heat into space before being retracted. The second set of heat sinks, are fashioned somewhat like torpedoes, and can be ejected during battle once they reach capacity. Not only does it get the heat off the ship, but the heat sinks also tend to have a jamming effect on some heat scanners, because they start irridating an entire area with large amounts of heat."

"We only have a limited number of that heat sink design, but because Nassana wasn't willing to let others have her design, she left a program for the Ardat's fabricator. The Ardat can produce the heat sinks on its own when needed, but I'd prefer not to do it too often. Those things are hellishly mineral intensive to manufacture, and making just a few uses enough resources to make a man go broke."

The Ardat's final cargo hold turned out to actually be a cargo hold. It had a clear path to the external hatch for a tiny shuttle to get in and out, but the rest of the cargo hold was difficult to navigate, being filled to the brim with crates of supplies. Mocius looked around for a moment, before commenting on the somewhat messy nature of the hold.

"The biggest problem about the Ardat, is that with the main and port cargo holds re-purposed for heat and endurance systems, we only have a fifth of the space available that most frigates our size do. Granted, we won't need much, since there's only a crew of five, but we don't have much excess space for storage."

Mocius then took me to the next deck up: Engineering.

"While the CIC and bridge are the places where we can control the ship, the engineering deck is where most of the critical systems can actually be worked on. Once Nassana had plotted a course and set the ship on it, she would come down here to tinker with the equipment. The fusion reactor as well as the FTL drive core are both aft, directly over the stern cargo hold."

"The door to our immediate right and left are the twin weapon bays, where the main weapons and defenses of the Ardat can be worked on. Although, between the physical improvements to the equipment that Nassana made, as well as my own calibrations to the weapon coding, I doubt that you personally would need to go in there any time soon."

"The door to our right, before you get to the fusion reactor is the computing center, a electromagnetically hardened room where most of the physical hardware for the ship's electronic systems is stored. And the room opposite it..."

Mocius stopped, looking at the room, before taking a few deep breaths and continuing.

"I don't actually know what the room was used for before I became friends with Nassana, but after she started enjoying my cooking, she ripped out whatever had been in there before to install a giant walk in freezer. She wanted to be able to preserve the foodstuffs she could get from all over the galaxy, so that when she got back to Omega, I could cook exotic dishes for her."

The third deck held 'combat rooms.' The Armory, the sickbay, and a briefing room were all to the rear of the Ardat, while the bridge and CIC were to the front. After a brief walk through each of the areas, Mocius took me to the second deck.

"The second deck is the living area for the crew." Mocius said, "Because Nassana didn't have a regular crew, she didn't see why she needed a living center for one. She rebuilt the entire deck from the standard ship layout to one that is much more like a comfortable four bedroom apartment. It's small for a ship Ardat's size, but we have so few people that it shouldn't matter. Your own room is the third one down the corridor, so you can go and take a nap or something until we arrive."

Mocius then turned to leave, but I stopped him.

"What about the first floor? You didn't finish the tour." I pointed out, and Mocius shook his head.

"The first floor is another place that's off limits to everyone, including myself. Like the cargo bay, Nassana had the deck sealed off, and I only have a vague idea as to what's up there. Most likely it's stuff that she personally built to keep the ship running better than the rest, but I really don't know. I'm much more suited for the software side of technology, and it takes me a long time to decipher one of her schematics." Mocius said.

Mocius left, and I wandered around the living area for a while before walking into my own room. Like the rest of the living area, it was both small and comfortable, and after wasting a few on my omnitool (I had found the omnitool's preset games!), I followed Mocius's advice and took a nap.

* * *

><p>I awoke to Nari's voice calling over the intercom. "The ETA for the Gagarin system is in an hour. Mocius wants all of us in the CIC as soon as possible."<p>

Mocius had a vicious sort of satisfaction about him when I arrived. The Patriarch and twins were already present; so as soon as I was there, Mocius started telling us his plan. Mocius had his look of total focus on, and his tone had the matching clipped quality.

"The first stage of attack on Argus is going to be ship to ship. I highly doubt that he'll be on his ship, when he has a base on the planet, but if we can destroy it, then Argus doesn't have any way to leave the base, nor can he get reinforcements from his ship. We'll be free to find and kill Argus." Mocius explained. "Jacob, you'll be staying here on the Ardat. Nali has left several preset flight courses, and after we've finished our killing Argus, you'll use those programs to facilitate our pickup."

Mocius then pulled up a schematic and displayed it on one of the screens in the CIC. He started discussing tactics with the Patriarch and the twins, and they had barely hammered out a battle-plan when a tone sounded. We had arrived at Sogelrus.

Mocius, Nali, and I went to the bridge, where Nali quickly took command of the pilot's seat. She looked at the readouts, and then turned to Mocius in shock as he took the co-pilot's seat.

"The pirate ship is a cruiser! You're going to have us go up against a _cruiser_ in a _frigate_? Are you insane, Mocius?" She asked incredulously, "I'm not really that great of a pilot. I can plot a course, keep us on track, but I'm only barely qualified for combat flight."

Mocius just shrugged.

"The situation isn't as bad as you think it is. The Ardat has some of the best technology available, with some of it beyond what you can buy, and I can guarantee that Argus's cruiser uses outdated tech. There's a reason why the bastard arranged to have Nassana spaced rather than trying to blow the Ardat up. I know that the Ardat can take them, Nali; you just get me into the targeting positions I send you."

Mocius had me sit down in front of one of the two empty terminals in the bridge. I'd be observing Nali during the battle, since after it, my job would be to keep the ship in orbit. Mocius and Nali hoped that watching would cut down on the time needed to teach me how to activate the preset flight programs.

As we closed in on the cruiser, a communications line opened up. A turian voice ordered us to power down our engines or be destroyed, to which Morius started laughing.

"If you think that you pirates can order me to do anything, then you've lost your mind." He said, "Call Argus down on the planet, and tell him his death as arrived."

The turian's response was to close the communications line, and begin powering up the cruiser's weapons and defensive systems. Already prepared for combat, Mocius began firing the Ardat's main mass accelerator as Nali threw the Ardat onto a vector that would take us under the cruiser. Several of the Ardat's shots connected, the cruiser's kinetic barrier fell into place a little too late.

Mocius continued firing the mass accelerator until we had arrived near the bottom of enemy cruiser. By the time we got under the cruiser, we had begun taking the first of the cruiser's retaliatory missile strikes and mass accelerator rounds. Mocius didn't take any defensive actions besides letting the Ardat's kinetic barriers absorb the blows.

Nali turned our course parallel with the Cruiser, and then said to Mocius "Thirty kilometers, Mocius, we're at the range you wanted."

Mocius's only response was tapping a single icon, and I think that only Mocius was ready for the amount of destruction that occurred from that action. Almost instantly, electromagnetic beams of energy cut into the cruiser, completely bypassing its kinetic barrier. The Ardat repeated the action again, and then a third and fourth times. Mocius had Nali to perform a half barrel roll, and then the Ardat fired another four times.

The Ardat's attack had devastated the cruiser, and no attack from the cruiser came. Either the lasers had knocked out the weapons on this side of the cruiser, or Ardat had gone past the ability of the cruiser's ability to absorb damage and destroyed internal systems. After a few moments of scanning, Nali confirmed it as the latter of the two.

"We've hurt them bad, Mocius, I'm detecting atmospheric loss in several parts of their hull, and they've stopped making orbital corrections, meaning at the very least they've taken damage to their propulsion system. What kind of hell lasers did you fire?"

Mocius took a moment to read some output from the weapon systems before answering.

"That was the Ardat's GARDIAN lasers. Most ship to ship lasers lose effectiveness at around ten kilometers, but it isn't because we aren't able to make better ones. The salarian's regularly equip their ships with GARDIAN lasers that have 6 times that effective range. A larger range means that there's more destruction at closer range, and though they're hideously expensive, as well as a bitch to keep in working order, the Ardat's GUARDIAN lasers actually push into the ultraviolet range, giving us almost 8 times the effectiveness of the average GARDIAN laser."

"All we needed to do was get just outside their laser range, and then pound them without having to worry about their kinetic barriers. If we could get to range fast enough, then it didn't really matter what they could throw at us, because the Ardat's kinetic barriers and the Solaris armor could buy us enough time to put them out of commission." Mocius finished.

There was a signal from the cruiser, asking to surrender, and after a moments thought, Mocius agreed. He hadn't come to kill pirates so much as to kill one particular pirate. Of course, letting the pirates live didn't mean that he was going to let them go. As soon as the cruiser had powered down its kinetic barriers, Mocius used the Ardat's main mass accelerator to completely destroy the cruiser's thrusters.

"After we kill Argus, we can leave a beacon for the cruiser. Let's let the Alliance handle these bastards." Mocius had decided, before leaving for the armory.

Nali showed me how to activate the programmed flight paths she had left in the computer and then left as well. I was alone on the Ardat for maybe 2 hours, when I got the radio call to pick up the group.

"How did it go?" I asked, a little curious in spite of the distaste I felt at their task. I don't like killing things.

The Patriarch had answered, sounding the happiest I had ever heard him. "It was a glorious fight, kid. I feel centuries younger, and like I regained some of my honor as a krogan. Mocius got his revenge, we looted the place of any valuables, and the twins found a fairly interesting piece of information. We'll be going to Novaria next."

The Patriarch signed off, and I thoughtfully pressed the button to send the Ardat on a retrieval run.

So we were going to go off to Noveria? I felt a twinge of excitement at the idea of exploring a planet I'd never been to before. I didn't really particularly enjoy how easily my four companions could kill, but I think I could start to enjoy this kind of life nonetheless.

Chapter end

* * *

><p>AN: So, this chapter was mostly a description of the Ardat and some brief space combat. If it seems like I overpowered the Ardat a bit, it's because it is. Nassana spent literally over a century of her life as a privateer, and she spent that time keeping her ship at better than cutting edge. If you have questions, complaints, concerns, or if you want to ask about some of the tech, feel free to ask. :)


	6. Noveria

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect.

I'd like to thank 3 people for significant inspiration: iNf3ctioNZ, bale626, and Herr Wozzeck

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

The twins were in the lead as they, the Patriarch and Mocius came back aboard the Ardat. They immediately streaked towards the bridge, and then plotted a course towards the planet Noveria.

"So, what's Noveria like? And why are the twin's so excited to get there?" I asked, curious about our next destination. The Patriarch grunted.

"The place is a corporate haven. If you have some kind of dirty business that would be very profitable, but your government's laws get in the way, you can go there, pay the right fees, and your business is free to conduct whatever kind of research or underhanded deals it needs to." He said, "If you need large shipments of dubiously legal content, the best option is to go through the corporation branches stationed in Noveria."

The Patriarch started walking towards the Armory, and with his hand on my shoulder forcing me to go with him, he continued his explanation.

"The planet itself is a frozen wasteland, and the people on Noveria are scum, much like the people on Omega. The difference is that they're executive scum, caring more about profits from the businesses rather than whoever they can shake down on the streets. I don't like their stupid patronizing attitudes, and if it weren't for a particular data-pad we found on Sogelrus, we wouldn't be going there. Argus apparently had a business that the twins think we can strip of finances and supplies, but we can only do that if we get to Noveria before the galaxy finds out that Argus is dead."

The armory had a small area designated as a firing range, though it's design meant that is wasn't any good for test firing heavy weaponry. The 'range' was simply a heavily reinforced metal panel, and a line fifteen meter's away. It was enough that the small nature of the range could be somewhat offset by truly tiny targets, but anything with a real kick could easily ricochet back. After test firing one of his smallest guns, the Patriarch told me that it would be sufficient for me to learn the basics of firing a weapon.

He had me retrieve my pistol and then slowly started teaching me what I needed to know about it. I progressed very, very slowly, but this was much more of my own fault than the Patriarch's. With my major memory loss, I had honestly had no clue whether I had even held a gun prior to the pistol I was working with, and my lack of weaponry knowledge quickly had the Patriarch at the edge of his patience.

Once the Patriarch had finally managed to pound the basics of weapon care into my head, we progressed to actually firing my pistol. The Patriarch and I discovered that at my best, I wasn't much of a shot. Despite the small distance, it took me dozens of tries before I was able to hit the target once, and a lack of natural talent on my part prevented me from suddenly overcoming my disability.

The Patriarch had quickly gone from enthusiastic to irritated, and his mood only declined from there. Nevertheless, the Patriarch had definitely taken it as his duty make me competent, and it was only after carefully lining up and firing my pistol hundreds of times that the Patriarch let me leave.

"You WILL be practicing on your own, Jacob. In a firefight, your kinetic barrier won't take more than a few shots, and shooting back at whoever tried to kill you is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself. Until you're able to score better than ninety percent on the targets, we'll both be in here daily, understand?" The Patriarch growled at me.

I mumbled a 'yes, sir', and then I started trudging towards the elevator to get to my room. The Patriarch's pistol training had lasted hours, and my arms felt best without motion. I had hoped to just lay down and go to sleep as quickly as possible. Rest seemed like a wonderful idea.

* * *

><p>However, it turned out that any sort of private relaxation would have to wait, as Mocius and the twins intercepted me before I could make it even a few steps out of the elevator. They took me into the dining area, handed me a plate of food, and then started talking as I struggled to eat. I was almost done when Nari brought up a new subject: Noveria.<p>

"Our stop at Noveria should be a fairly short one." She informed me, "Since we have the proper authorization codes, we can just land, strip anything of value from the business, and leave."

I sighed. Maybe it was just the excitement filling the few days that I could remember,or maybe it was the fact that I really, really didn't want to deal with anything other than my pillow, but I had a fear that Nari had left something out in her summary. Was the situation going to be as uncomplicated as Nari had just told me?

"Is there a catch in this simple plan?" I asked, and the twins started laughing.

"Sorry, Jacob," Nari said, "There really isn't a catch. We walk in, grab any data files and assets that Argus owned, and then we leave. The complications in this heist are almost entirely in the set up, and that's where Mocius comes in."

Nari completed her reassurance with a beckoning gesture at Mocius, who then activated his omni-tool. He had me turn on my omni-tool, and then began sending something over.

"The first steps to any successful operation begin with planning. Good planning can make seemingly impossible tasks merely difficult, and poor planning can send everyone involved in the job to their graves. Fortunately, the twins do this kind of stuff for Aria all the time, and I have the technical skill to make the kinds of files the twins need. Once I finish sending you the preliminary data files, the twins will start telling you the some of the finer details." Mocius said.

I watched a progress bar on my omni-tool's blue-green screen, and when it beeped a completion notification, Nari had me open up a file labeled 'identities.' The data record was headed with a head shot of myself, a slight smile on my face.

"Since all we really need to land and go to Argus's warehouse is the authentication code we grabbed, we don't need all that much in false identification. Argus used his warehouse on the planet as a place to fence the things he looted as a pirate, and legally, the warehouse is a branch of his private 'shipping business.'" Nari told me.

"A private shipping business means that, so long as we have the authorization from the warehouse owner, the authorities will leave us alone. In all likelihood, after the initial check for unauthorized heavy weaponry, no one important will even care that we're on the planet, but on the very slight chance that someone does, a simple crewman profile for you, me, and Nali should be more than enough to pass any possible inspection.

"Read over the covers Mocius made a few times, and when we get to Noveria, let Nali and I do the talking. You do that, and everything should be just fine." Nari finished.

I was ready to go to sleep at that point, but the false identities were only the first part to the twin's plans. From specialized hacking programs, to forms of material transport for any physical valuables we found, to lists of people on Noveria who could buy what we didn't want to keep, the twins walked me through each step. The twin's were detailed enough in their explanations that I had very few questions when they were done. I could have asked them, and I'm sure the the twins or Mocius would have enlightened me, but the long briefing had only increased my desire to take a nap.

I politely excused myself, went to my room and tossed myself onto the bed. I briefly thought about reading through the identity Mocius had created for me once or twice, before discarding that idea. I could memorize whatever I needed to after I had slept.

* * *

><p>As the twins had predicted, the Noveria flight control had gone from slightly hostile, to overwhelmingly polite as soon as they had received the authorization code. There was a security team who checked us for heavy weaponry, and after grudgingly giving back our pistols, they sent us on our way without any further trouble.<p>

In fact, it had seemed that almost all of the intense preparations and safeguards that the twins had made were rather unnecessary. With the code, the authorities on Noveria had officially turned a blind eye to what we were doing, and the other businesses on the planet found no profit in harassing a cargo crew. We had trudged through the icy weather to Argus's warehouse without a single incident, and when we arrived, the state of the building had given us a surprise.

The entrance was open, letting ice and snow into the shabby place. Nali and Nari shared a frown, and then after a moment, Nali pulled me back as Nari touched something on her omni-tool and vanished. Nali and I waited warily in the snow until Nari reappeared, wavering back into view a few minutes later. She had a very sour look on her face

"Nali, Jacob, I don't think we'll find much else here. The place looks like it's already been robbed." She said as she led us inside.

"But, this just makes no sense!" Nali protested, "Argus's business was just a cover, and 'official' profit margins weren't large enough to warrant espionage! The real corporations wouldn't waste their time with something like this!"

Nari shrugged. "So it was some random freelance mercenary looking for some easy credits." She said, "The place is wrecked enough for it to have been an amateur. There was no finesse whatsoever in the break-in, just a bunch of omni-gel shorting out the door's electronics."

As I walked into the warehouse behind the twins, I had to agree with Nari; the warehouse was a mess. There was snow and broken crates everywhere, and a long gash on one of the walls. We spent a long time carefully picking our way through the clutter, finding almost nothing in our search for anything that had been left behind.

It didn't take long for the twins to get frustrated with searching empty containers, instead deciding to concentrate their efforts towards fixing a broken computer terminal. I didn't really think that I could help the twins, and so while they did that, I continued to search crate after crate, idly wondering if I would find one that had been missed.

It was long after I had given up any hope of finding anything, when I struck gold. I had found a container that was still locked, or rather, still sealed. The cubic thing didn't seem to have any openings, or any panels that I could get the twins to hack, and I only knew it was still full because unlike other bins of the same size, it was completely immobile. The other crates I could move aside with a little effort, but that one might as well have been welded to the floor.

I had contemplated getting the twins to see if they could somehow get the container open, when I saw a flash of teal light. I glanced down at my omni-tool, thinking that I had accidentally activated it, but the glove wasn't glowing. Instead, I could see a screen imbedded in the metal of the container, showing a pair of words with that distinctive holographic orange.

Access Granted

After a few moments, the screen turned off, and the container opened at the seams to reveal a robot. I frowned as I moved a little closer to get a better look; why did the robot's design seem familiar? It took a few moments of thought, but when I finally realized why, I froze, not daring to move a muscle. What was a powered down geth doing in a pirate's warehouse?

Chapter end


End file.
